e-butty spring 2014
DESCRIPTION
The online magazine of the Kennet & Avon Canal TrustTRANSCRIPT
Editorial Introduction
Welcome to the first edition of The Butty in 2014 and the very first e-Butty. As announced in the
Autumn 2013 magazine, from this year the Trust will be producing two printed editions each year
and two online editions. We’re doing this so that we can continue the acclaimed high quality
content and format of the printed Butty, whilst keeping our costs under control. By sending out our
new e-Butty in February and August, we can keep our members informed of the latest news and
events along the Kennet & Avon.
This first edition is fairly brief. We’re concentrating on news and upcoming events. We’re also
starting a ‘situations vacant’ page to highlight some of the key roles for which we seek volunteers.
We’ve prepared the e-Butty in PDF format. This is because we believe this format will be most
widely accessible to members whether they are reading it on a computer, tablet or phone. Please let
us know if you have problems reading it. The PDF format also allows for the e-Butty to be printed
for those who prefer not to read it on screen. What about those with no email? We are happy to
post out a printed copy of the e-Butty to any member who requests it. This was mentioned in the
Autumn 2013 Butty but so far nobody has requested a printed copy. We will keep making the offer
in the printed magazine.
The online format offers more benefits than just saving on printing costs. There are some places
where you can ‘click through’ to more information. And we can share the e-Butty widely perhaps
encouraging new readers to join us in the Trust. It will be a learning process for us and we ask for
your feedback on both content and format. Please email our Administrator, Jean Cook at
Chairman’s Message A soggy start to 2014
After my comments about the great summer of 2013 in the
autumn Butty, we’ve all been brought down to earth by this
wet and windy winter. As the pictures in the media show, it’s a tough
time for many people at present.
The floods are making life difficult on the Kennet & Avon as well. As you know our
waterway includes 2 rivers. The River Avon flooded from Christmas Eve onwards
and is still badly flooded. The tidal surge on Christmas Eve sunk a number of boats.
The River Kennet has flooded less dramatically but there’s still plenty of flood water in the fields along the
the e-Butty Charity Number 209206 Winter 2014
river. The flow monitoring station at Newbury tells me the Kennet has been running at 10 times its level
of last August. On the canal section, the problems are less about flooding and water flows and more
about mud and inaccessible towpaths. It has made life difficult for our partners in the Canal & River Trust
and the winter works programme is inevitably behind schedule. Plans to open the lock refurbishment
works at Hungerford to the public have been cancelled because it’s all just too boggy!
Here at the K&A Trust we’re resisting the temptation to hide indoors looking out at the rain. There’s just
too much to be done. Our boat crews are dodging the rain to complete winter maintenance on our 4 trip
boats and get them ready for the better weather to come (it must surely!). Life is very busy at Crofton as
the team there work through some mucky winter maintenance such as refurbishing the main boiler flue.
Crofton is going to be an important place for us this year as we develop a bid for Heritage Lottery
Funding for major restoration and development there. Look out for a full article in the Spring Butty – due
on your door mat in the first week of April. Elsewhere the Newbury team have been busy in the Stone
Building, Please see the article below and make sure to visit the John Gould Room when you are next in
Newbury.
2014 will be a busy year and there’s lots of exciting things to be done in the Trust. We’ve included a
‘situations vacant’ page in this first e-Butty. Please take a look and see if there’s a role that would appeal
to you or someone you know. This Trust achieves some great things and it’s all down to our driving force
– volunteer power.
Thanks for being a K&A Trust member. We value your support
Rob Dean CMG
Chairman of Trustees
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We are sorry to have to announce the deaths of 2 Kennet & Avon stalwarts.
Philip Ogden died on 5th February in Warwickshire at the age of 100. He was Honorary Engineer to the
Trust during the early part of restoration, working closely with British Waterways engineers. He was also
a Vice President of the Trust. There will be no funeral but donations can be made to Cancer Research in
Philip’s memory.
Peter Crawford died on 2 January in Newbury. He was a former chairman of Reading branch and
Director Boats during the 1990s. Trustee David Copley attended the funeral on behalf of the Trust.
We intend to publish obituaries on both these members in the Spring Butty
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Dinner Dance
A Dinner dance for members,
volunteers and friends of the
Trust is being planned for
Saturday 4th October
at Alexandra House, Wroughton
near Swindon
(www.alexandrahouseswindon.
co.uk).
3-course meal and music (DJ)
will be £30.
Accommodation should be
booked individually, but
participants can expect a
discount on the normal £65
double bedroom and breakfast
rate.
Expressions of interest needed
as soon as possible, please, to
Mike Ward at
or on 01380 500210
News along the Canal Get involved!
Boat Manager Chris Sibley writes from our
Devizes trip boat Kenavon Venture
Each year we organise many trips on our
canal boats and they are always well
prepared and look splendid for our visitors.
I would like to present a view of the
Kenavon Venture that is normally the sole
preserve of the hard working volunteers, who spend many
hours making sure the boat passes its MCA annual inspection.
Of course the inspection itself is not the end of the matter as
the boat has to be re-serviced and equipped in time for the
season to start, as well as repairing any faults or completing
modifications.
This picture shows the underfloor
bilges of the Kenavon Venture
before removal of the kerb stones
and other concrete used for ballast.
We need to photograph this as it
all has to be replaced exactly to
maintain the stability and cruise
dynamics. The total weight of ballast is a not inconsiderable 3
– 3 ½ tons!
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Grand Raffle We are holding a fundraising raffle this year with a selection of attractive prizes. Tickets will be on sale
through branches and the Trust HQ all through the season, with the draw at the Crofton Steam Fair. To
make it easier for members to take part, five £1 tickets will be included with the printed Butty when it
comes out in April for you to buy or sell to others if you wish to use them. Information about prizes will
be included in the Butty and on the website.
Givingabit extra! Do you shop on-line? Did you know you could raise funds for the Trust just by doing so? Givingabit.com
is a free service funded by thousands of retailers including Amazon, John Lewis, Sainsbury's Vodafone,
Microsoft & many more. Simply by visiting the shops via www.givingabit.com they will give donations to
the Trust with no cost to you every time you shop on-line. You may even save money as you are
rewarded with the most up to date discount codes, daily deals, sales and promotional offers. Simply
visit www.givingabit.com, sign up and select The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust as your chosen charity to
start raising some extra funding. Give it a go!
2014 Trust Events Calendar Keeping you up to date with all the important
events
February
18th Reading Branch Meeting with speaker
Grange Free Church Hall, RG30 3HD 7.45 pm
26th Waterways of Europe Ron & Myra Glover
The Stone Building, Newbury Wharf 7.45pm
March
18th Reading Branch Meeting with speaker
Grange Free Church Hall, RG30 3HD 7.45 pm
26th Newbury Branch AGM followed by The
History of the West Mills Area David Peacock
The Stone Building, Newbury Wharf 7.45pm
April
15th Reading Branch Meeting with speaker
Grange Free Church Hall, RG30 3HD 7.45 pm
19,20,21 Crofton Steaming weekend (Easter)
May
17th TRUST AGM West Lavington Village
Hall SN10 4HL 10.30am – 12.30pm
20th Reading Branch Meeting with speaker
Grange Free Church Hall, RG30 3HD 7.45 pm
June
14th Reading Waterfest, Chestnut Walk,
Reading, 10 am – 4pm
July
27th Newbury Waterways Festival, Victoria
Park, Newbury 10am – 5pm
Anything missing? Let us know!
Julie Dean writes from Newbury:
The John Gould Room – to Inspire and Inform a new
generation of Canal Users
Newbury branch are proud to announce that the
long awaited Canal Information Centre, upstairs in
the Stone Building, Newbury, is nearing completion
and will be officially opened on 28th February. We
are honoured to name it the John Gould Room in
grateful thanks to Newbury’s most famous canal
personality, 100 years after his birth, for his work in
ensuring the canal is here today for us all to enjoy.
The CIC is a result of many hours of work by
volunteers; from ideas and design, through
woodwork and painting, to content and pictures
and much in between. Many thanks to all those
who helped, advised or donated. We are delighted
to have a modern fresh looking multi-use room with
up-to-date information to inspire and inform those
who use it.
Come for a visit and see the difference to the
room. We’ve built a canal bridge arch in it. As
visitors pass through it they see a 10 metre long
frieze of 14 large photos showing the canal in all its
beauty from Bath to Reading. That’s topped with a
‘London tube’ style map showing 40 of the most
important places to visit. Then we have a series of
information panels helping visitors find the right
connections for using the canal. And finally, there’s
a small library of books and guides.
The John Gould Room is open to the public daily
from 10am to 4pm, unless there is a function taking
place. Call the café on 01635 522609 to check before
you travel.
The JG room is available for private hire. Please contact Jill
Staig on 01635 47392 for more information.
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Situations Vacant
Chairman of The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust (Enterprise) Ltd
We are seeking a Chairman of Enterprise, our trading arm.
Enterprise manages 4 public trip boats and 5 cafes run by volunteers, staff and commercial partners. The
company is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors bringing together expertise on the various strands
of the business. The Board meets every other month.
The Chairman will also be a trustee of the K&A Trust (which meets monthly). Your role will be to
represent the Trust to Enterprise and vice versa. As Chairman, you will ensure that Enterprise Directors
work together to manage the business and make effective use of the assets, staff and volunteers
available. You will help Enterprise make the best possible return for the Trust whilst ensuring that the
company reflects Trust values and charitable objectives. Whilst you will need to understand how a
business runs and have ideas for developing it, your most important skill will be the ability to work with
others. You will be able to chair effectively, ensuring that all views and issues are properly aired,
considered and settled.
If you have these skills and would like to know more about the role click HERE, or contact Chairman of
Trustees, Rob Dean by email to [email protected] or by phone 07795 116223.
Volunteers needed for the Crofton Beam Engines
We urgently need more volunteers to help preserve and run the engines in the future.
Volunteers control the steam-driven pumps during steaming weekends and work to maintain the
mechanism and buildings during certain weekdays. Kitchen and café staff can work on any day during
the season. The atmosphere is friendly and you would be made very welcome on our team. We are proud
of Crofton Beam Engines and their unique place in our modern history. We have no subsidies and rely
solely on our volunteers to keep them running for future generations. If you are interested, please get in
touch with Jon Willis [email protected]
Crew for Kenavon Venture
Help us run our trips
We are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers who can help us crew the Kenavon Venture as general
crew, helms or lock workers. All these jobs require a certain amount of agility and manual effort, but keen
volunteers should apply and see if you are suited. Contact Chris Sibley [email protected]
A new project for Bradford on Avon Branch
And we’re looking for a Project Organiser
In conjunction with the CRT Volunteer Coordinator, Bradford on Avon Branch have 'adopted' the
towpath between Widbrook Bridge and Avoncliff Aqueduct. The project will involve recruiting a new
team of volunteers to meet and greet visitors to the Wharf (boaters, walkers, cyclists or whoever) and
provide information about the Canal and Bradford on Avon. The TIC are co-operating by providing a
simple guide to the Town. It is also hoped that we can recruit new volunteers and Members for the Trust.
A second part of the project will be to recruit volunteer lengthmen who can keep a watchful eye on their
Devizes HQ
Is in need of the following
to insulate our museum.
8ftx4ft plaster boards
Insulation boards
Lead flashing to repair
leaking roof
Can you help?
Call Jean on 01380 721279
length and report back any concerns to the workparty team or CRT. Recruiting will start this month but
the priority is finding someone willing to act as organiser for the project so if you are interested or know
someone who might be please contact David Inight 0779 901 0219 [email protected]
Vacancies list! Bradford on Avon Branch
We need you!
Chairman elect, after five years in the post it is time for
a new face to lead the Bradford on Avon Branch.
Current Chairman is willing to stay in post and hand
over during the year.
Project Officer, someone who can be part of the Branch
Committee and listen to the ideas for new projects, work
up proposals for those which are possible and get them
started.
Finance Officer, we have a very capable volunteer who
collects and banks the money coming in from the boat,
retail sales and donations and handles the Petty Cash.
But we need someone who understands finance and
budgets and can help us manage expenditure better and
advise the Branch Committee.
PR and Fundraising. We are so busy getting on with delivering services we forget about telling
people what we are doing and raising funds for new projects. Local papers and organisations are
clamouring for articles, presentations and presence at events. We need someone with the skills and
charisma to speak for us!
And of course we are always happy to welcome anyone who would like to join the working party tidying
up our canal or be crew on the trip boat Barbara McLellan.
Interested? Please contact David Inight - [email protected] 0779 901 0219
Curator for the John Gould Room in Newbury
We need someone to keep an eye on things
If you live in or near Newbury and have a couple of hours a week, the new John Gould Room at the Stone
Building needs someone to keep an eye on it. Ideally someone who can pop in regularly to check that the
leaflet holders are filled, the Information Boards are in place and the room is ready for visitors. When the
room receives the occasional visit, such as from schools, we need someone to be on hand. We do not need
someone to stay all day – the café will open and close the room – but we do need a ‘Trust eye’ kept on it.
If you think you might be that person contact Julie Dean [email protected] 01962 883939
Head Office Contacts
The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, Devizes Wharf, Couch Lane, Devizes, SN10 1EB
Tel: 01380 721279
Rob Dean Chairman of Trustees [email protected]
Jean Cook Administrator [email protected]
Becky Barker Assistant Administrator [email protected]
Helen Flavin Finance Officer [email protected]